Press the tofu using a tofu press for 45-50 minutes. If you don't have a tofu press, wrap the tofu block in a clean kitchen towel. Place a few heavy objects on top (books, jars, etc.) and press for 1 hour. Then, using your hands, tear the tofu into chunks.
Get three bowls. In the first one, mix the soy milk, and apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), and let it rest for 5 minutes, or until the mixture curdles. In the second bowl, add the corn starch. In the third bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and oil. Make sure to mix it well enough, until the spices stick to the breadcrumbs.
Get a piece of tofu and roll it in the corn starch on all sides, then dip it in the buttermilk and let any excess liquid drip off. Roll it in the corn starch again, and dip it in the buttermilk for the second time. Then, add the battered piece into the bowl with the breadcrumbs and coat it on all sides. Set it aside and repeat with the rest of the tofu chunk, until all are coated.
Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF (180ºC). Add the tofu nuggets to the air fryer basket and spray with olive oil spray. Air fry for 8-9 minutes, flipping halfway through. They're ready when they're golden brown on the outside. Serve right away!
Notes
Use extra-firm tofu. The firmness of the tofu is really important for the texture of the nuggets. If you can't find extra-firm tofu, you can use firm tofu, but you'll need to press it for longer in order to get rid of the excess water.
Press the tofu. This is an important step of the recipe, and it makes a big difference. Just 30 minutes is better than not pressing the tofu at all.
Use soy milk. In order to make vegan buttermilk, you need high-protein milk so the proteins can react with the acid (in our case, it's the apple cider vinegar). Don't substitute it with almond milk, oat milk, or another dairy-free milk, because the result won't be the same!
Serve right away! These tofu nuggets are best when served fresh. As with most crispy food, they lose their crunch as they cool and become firmer.
To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.